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A Chinese biotech startup, Lonvi Biosciences, claims to have developed a pill that could dramatically extend human lifespan, potentially up to 150 years. The company, based in Shenzhen and backed by China’s growing longevity sector, says the capsule targets “zombie cells”—aging cells that refuse to die and trigger inflammation and age-related diseases. The key ingredient, procyanidin C1 (PCC1), is derived from grape seeds and has reportedly extended lifespan in lab mice, with trials showing a 9.4% increase in overall lifespan and a 64% extension from the first day of treatment. CEO Ip Zhu called the pill the “Holy Grail” of extreme longevity, while CTO Lyu Qinghua suggested that living to 150 could become a reality in the near future.
The pill’s promise fits within China’s national push into aging research, which has been elevated alongside AI and biotech as a priority area. Anti-aging research, once considered fringe, is now a booming industry in China, attracting both wealthy consumers and state support. Lonvi’s team argues that PCC1 not only extends lifespan in animals but also helps prevent age-related deterioration in cells, maintains energy production, and could potentially delay the onset of diseases linked to aging. They suggest that combining the pill with a healthy lifestyle could help humans live past 100, possibly exceeding 120.
However, experts caution that these claims remain highly speculative. The reported benefits of PCC1 have so far only been observed in mice, and no human trials have tested its effectiveness or safety. While Lonvi markets the pill as a scientific inevitability, the real impact on human longevity remains unproven, leaving open the question of whether this represents a genuine breakthrough in anti-aging medicine or simply the latest ambitious claim in a long history of longevity promises.
